Deming headed to trial for criminal enterprising

Wednesday

Feb 6, 2013 at 8:45 AM

By Matt Durr

matt.durr@hillsdale.netHILLSDALE — The man accused of masterminding an elaborate scheme involving a string of home invasions will face trial next month on one count of conducting a criminal enterprise.Scott Jeffray Deming, 43, of Hillsdale will appear in Hillsdale County Circuit Court in front of Judge Michael Smith on March 21 at 8:30 a.m. for a jury trial.Deming is accused of teaching and instructing two people on how to break into houses from November 2011 to February of 2012. The accomplices would break into the homes and then bring them stolen items to Deming, who would then sell the items at pawn shops and gold dealers throughout the state.It is estimated that Deming made around $28,000 from the sales according to testimony at an examination in District Court last month.Deming was arrested in Feburary of last year after a minor car accident in Ionia County. While investigating the accident, a state trooper searched Deming after believing he smelled marijuana in the car. During the search the trooper did not find any drugs, but he did find plenty of valuable items in the backseat of the vehicle.“I found precious metals, gold ... and a small pried crowbar,” said state trooper Randy Gariglio.Deming was then arrested for possession of burglary tools. It was eventually discovered that many of the items Deming was in possession of during his arrest matched the descriptions of items stolen during the string of burglaries in Hillsdale.After being contacted by the state police, Hillsdale City Police Detective Brad Martin went to meet with Deming in Ionia. Deming waived his Miranda rights but during questioning said he found a light-colored box in the bushes of a house that was near one of the suspected burglarized homes.Deming did not admit to stealing anything during that meeting. He was originally charged with five counts of home invasion in September of last year and another count in October, during which he was charged with criminal enterprise.If convicted, Deming faces up to 20 years in prison and $100,000 in fines.